BREAKING NEWS: Lee's Morton leaving for Eastland job

Oscar LeRoy|oleroy@mrt.com

Published 9:29 am, Thursday, January 28, 2016

Photo: James Durbin

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Lee football head coach James Morton walks off the field with his team following an overtime loss to San Angelo Central on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, at Grande Communications Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Lee football head coach James Morton walks off the field with his team following an overtime loss to San Angelo Central on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, at Grande Communications Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: James Durbin

BREAKING NEWS: Lee's Morton leaving for Eastland job

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James Morton has always thought about going back home to Eastland and now he’s going to get that chance.

Morton announced on Thursday that he will be stepping down as Lee’s head football coach to take the athletic director and head football coach job at Eastland, which is located about 50 miles east of Abilene. The hire is pending Eastland ISD school board approval at a special meeting called for 5:30 p.m. today.

The 50-year-old Morton is a 1983 graduate of Eastland High School and was a part of the 1982 Class 2A state championship team his senior year.

Morton said there have been opportunities in the past to coach at Eastland but felt this was the right time in his life to make the move. He said he was approached about the job by Eastland administrators.

“It’s a good place for my family and it’s a chance to get back home,” Morton said. “I know going to a 3A (program) from a 6A will raise some eye brows but I never got into coaching for the A’s. My goal was to make a difference and make and impact in young people’s lives.

“I grew up working in the oil field and I have also cut hay to make a living, and that was work. Coaching is a passion that allows me to be pay my bills and allows me to do the things I want to do to help young people.”

Morton added that after speaking with Eastland superintendent Jason Cochran and the Eastland school board members, he got a good feel for what kind of people they are and felt comfortable taking the job.

The Mavericks have been a very successful program in recent years, having won at least 10 games each season since 2011. This past season, Eastland went 10-3 and made it to the regional round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs.

Morton spent seven years coaching the Rebels, guiding them to a 38-35 record with two playoff appearances and a district championship in 2013. This past season, the Rebels went 4-6 overall and 2-3 in District 3-6A, missing out on the playoffs for the second straight season.

Morton emphasized that he was never pressured into leaving Lee and said he had great support not only from the school but from the Midland ISD administration.

“Growing up a small town, I never thought you would get that great kind of support as I did at Lee,” Morton said. “The pride people have for that school and the principals I had were great to work with. I also can’t thank (superintendent Ryder Warren) enough. Walking away from all of that makes it tough.

“MISD has been great worth work. I’m not running from Midland. This was just the right thing to do at the time.”

Morton said his only regret is that he’s leaving with unfinished business with the program.

The coach said that the struggles from the past two seasons are something that people will look at, but he believes that the team has brighter days ahead. He said the junior varsity teams finished 9-1 and 8-2, respectively and added that the young players, including both quarterbacks, returning the varsity level have shown promise.

Morton informed his players of his decision on Thursday morning and he said there was obviously a lot of emotion in the room.

“There were a lot of tears in people’s eyes,” Morton said. “They said, ‘Coach we love you’. And told them I love them, ‘I love you.’ That’s the way we share around here. When I came here from (Lubbock) Monterey I told the kids that I wasn’t going to be like the coach before and they should give me a chance. Whoever comes in, they just need to give that person a chance. It’s a challenge to the seniors to keep things in line and to hold others accountable.”

Midland ISD superintendent Ryder Warren said in a press release that Morton will be sorely missed.

“I completely understand the personal decision Coach Morton has made to take his family back to his hometown, and I completely support him in that decision,” Warren said. “James is the type of educator who feels it much more important to be a teacher of young men than to be a coach of a particular sport, and that is what I respected most about his leadership at LHS.”

Warren added in the press release that the district will begin meeting with the Lee campus leadership team, its student athletes, the Lee Football Booster Club leadership and other appropriate parties to develop the professional and personal profile the district will use to find the next leader of the Lee athletic program.

Even though they were rivals on the football field, the staff at Midland High had great respect for Morton. Midland High football coach Craig Yenzer has known Morton since he was coaching at Hereford and Morton was coaching at Friona. There are also MHS assistant coaches who have had previous relationships with Morton

“James and I have never coached together but it seems like we have,” Yenzer said. “I just think the world of him. I’m going to miss the time we’ve had competing with each other here and I wish him nothing but the best. He’s a quality coach and a quality man and I can’t say enough about the man.”

Morton said he there are still some things he needs to take care of at Lee, such as Monday’s UIL realignment and reclassification announcement, before he makes the move to Eastland.